FOOD HYGINE

Introduction
• Food collected and stored for later use begin
to deteriorate shortly after harvest, gather or
slaughter.
• In this study session we are going to
concentrate on food contamination by
microorganisms, chemicals and physical
factors.
 Hygienic practices in handling and preparation of food
 Personal hygiene
• Before preparing food, tie hair back, wash hands and
scrub nails clean.
• Always wash the hands after visiting the toilet
• never cough, sneeze, spit or smoke over the food.
• Cover up skin infections, cuts and graze(scrach)
• Wear a clean apron
• Do not lick fingers on spoons and then touch the food
with them
 Food purchase

1. Buy foods from clean, reputable shop where

the assistant handle hygienically, and the food
is stored properly.
2. Check that there are no animals in food
3. Check the date stamps on fresh foods
4. Choose fresh foods wisely
5. Be wary of fresh foods sold on markets stalls.
They should be covered to protect them from
dust and files.
 Food storage at home
 Store fresh foods in a cool place
 Use up old stocks of dried and canned foods
before new ones.
 Cool left-over foods rapidly and eat with 24
hours
 Keep food protected from flies, pests &
rodents.
 Kitchen hygiene

 Regularly wash and clean work surfaces.

 Keep utensils clean and well stored when not
in use
 Wipe up spill ( fall) as they occur
 Do not allow pests to sit on work surfaces or
to eat from utensils & dishes what will be used
for humans
 Rinse out the dish cloth after use
 Do not use the dish cloth to wash the floor
 Use very hot water and a good detergent for
washing dishes. So that all foods sediments are
removed.
 Sterilize infant feeding bottles carefully
 Food-borne Illness or Food Poisoning
• Any illness associated with eating food
contaminated by disease-causing bacteria,
viruses, or parasites; natural toxins in plants
and animals; or harmful chemical agents such
as insecticides and heavy metals.
• Symptoms develop within a period of several
hours to two days after eating
• Common symptoms-nausea, abdominal
cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea.
 Infectious agents (IAs) & food borne
diseases (FBDs)
• IAs-organisms that can be passed to, and
between, people in the process of infection
transmission.
• IAs can be passed for example by spreading
into food handled by the infected person.
• Bacteria are the most abundant of all
organisms capable of causing food borne
illness and food spoilage.
• Food spoilage is defined as damage or injury to
food rendering it unsuitable for human
consumption.
• Food must be considered spoiled if it is
contaminated with pathogenic MOs or various
poisonous agents.
• Food contamination- is incrimination of with MOs
or harmful agents & eating it could result in food
borne illness.
• Some bacteria are capable of forming highly
resistant and endurable structures called
spores; resistant to heat, freezing, drying,
chemicals and other adverse environments.
• So, spores can survive the normal processes of
food storage and preparation.
• Temperature, humidity, oxygen and water are
important for bacteria to grow and multiply
• Under favorable conditions a growing
bacterial population can double at regular
intervals ranging from about 15 minutes to
several hours called generation time.
 Acceptable Storage life of some foods
Food product Storage life (days) at 21oC
Raw beef 1-2
Raw fish 1-2
Raw poultry 1-2
Dried salted or smoked 360 or more
meat and fish
Fresh fruits 1-7
Dried fruits 360 or more
Leafy vegetables 1-2
Root crops 1-20
Dried seeds 360 or more
• In most cases there does not need to be an
evident sign of spoilage, the food might look
normal and only after eating it or by careful
bacteriological and toxicological investigation,
one is able to realize the defect.
• Food decay or decomposition is implied when
the term spoiled is used
 Causes of food spoilage
a). Growth and activity of microorganisms Bacteria,
yeasts and molds are microorganisms that cause
food spoilage. They produce various enzymes that
decompose the various constituents of food.
• Molds are the major causes of spoilage of foods
with reduced water activity e.g dry cereals and
cereal product
• Bacteria spoil foods with relatively high water
activity such as milk and products.
(b). Vermin-ants, rats, cocroaches, mice, birds,
larval stages of some insects. Vermin are
important due to:
(i). Aesthetic aspect of their presence,
(ii) Possible transmision of pathogenic agents,&
Consumption of food.
(c). Physical changes-include those changes
caused by freezing, burning, drying, pressure,
etc.
Sources of microorganisms in food
The primary sources of microorganisms in food include:
1. Soil and water
2. Plant and plant products
3. Food utensils
4. Intestinal tract of man and animals
5. Food handlers
6. Animal hides and skins
7. Air and dust
Factors affecting microbial growth in food

(a) Intrinsic factors:

These are inherent in the food. They include:
 Hydrogen ion concentration (pH),
moisture content,
nutrient content of the food,
antimicrobial substances ad
biological structures.
 Hydrogen ion concentration (PH)
• Most bacteria grow best at neutral or weakly
alkaline pH usually between 6.8 and 7.5.
• Some bacteria can grow within a narrow pH
range of 4.5 and 9.0, e.g. salmonella
• Other microorganisms especially yeasts and
molds and some bacteria grow within a wide
pH range, e.g. molds grow between 1.5 to
11.0, while yeasts grow between 1.5 and 8.5.
 pH values of some food products
Food type Range of pH values
Beef 5.1 - 6.2
Chicken 6.2 – 6.4
Milk 6.3 – 6.8
Cheese 4.9 - 5.9
Fish 6.6 - 6.8
Fruits < 4.5 (most < 3.5)
Vegetables 3.0 – 6.1
• Microorganisms that are able to grow in acid
environment are called acidophilic
microorganisms, able to grow at pH of around 2.0.
• Yeasts and molds grow under acid conditions.
• Other microorganisms such as vibrio cholerae are
sensitive to acids and prefer alkaline conditions.
• Most bacteria are killed in strong acid or strong
alkaline environment except Mycobacteria.
 2. Moisture content
• The effect of moisture is in terms of water
activity: -the amount of free water in a food
medium which is important for growth of
microorganisms.
Moisture content
• A saturated salt solution has a water activity of
0.75
• Salting and drying reduces the water activity of
a food product
 Water activity of some food products
Food Product Water activity

Raw meat and milk 0.99- 1.0

Dried grains 0.80

 Water activity levels
• Growth of microorganisms is greatly affected
by the level of water activity(Aw) in the food.
• Inhibition of growth occurs if the water
activity for food is lowered beyond an
organism’s minimum level of water activity
that is necessary for growth.
• Microorganisms have varied minimum water
activity requirements that supports their
growth in food.
 Minimum water activity that supports
growth of some microorganisms
Microorganism Water activity
Clostridium botulinum, 0.95
Bacillus cereus, 0.95
Pseudmonas aeroginosa, 0.95
Salmonella spp. 0.95
Staphylococcus aureus (anaerobic), 0.90
Candida spp., Saccharomyces
Staphylococcus aureus (aerobic) 0.86
Penicillium spp. 0.82
Most spoilage yeast 0.88
Most spoilage molds 0.80
yeast 0.70
 3. Nutrients content of the food
• Microorganisms require proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids, water, energy, nitrogen,
sulphur, phosphorus, vitamins, and minerals
for growth.
• Foods such as milk, meat and eggs contain a
number of nutrients that are required by
microorganisms.
• These foods are hence susceptible to
microbial spoilage.
 Antimicrobial substances
• Antimicrobial substances in food inhibit
microbial growth.
• Various foods have inherent antimicrobial
substances that prevent (inhibit) microbial
attack; Such as like lactinin and anti-coliform
factors in milk and lysozyme in eggs
 Biological structures
• Some foods have biological structures that
prevent microbial entry.
• For example, meat has fascia, skin and other
membranes that prevent microbial entry.
• Eggs have shell and inner membranes that
prevent yolk and egg white from infection.
 (b). Extrinsic factors
• Are factors external to the food that affect
microbial growth. They include:
1. Temperature of storage,
2. Presence and concentration of gases in the
environment
3. Relative humidity of food storage
environment.
 Packaging and storage
• Is a means of safeguarding food against
harmful contaminants or conditions that
promote food spoilage-like from light, oxygen
and moisture.
• The type of packaging is a key factor in
ensuring food safety if it is intact; b/se it
provides protection against the entry of
contaminants.
 Food Borne disease
Types of food borne disease
1. Bacterial food infection
– food contain large number of bacteria
The bacteria multiply in the intestine causes
symptoms with in 12-14 hours
Eg. Salmonelousis
shigellosis (B.D)
Clostridium per fringes
2. Bacterial food poisoning
 results from ingestion of food containing toxin produced by
a contaminating bacteria. Symptoms usually appear with in
1-6 hours
Eg... Staphylococcal food poisoning
Botulism caused by clostridium botulism
3- Parasitic food infections
 Many protozoa /helmintics like Ascariasis’s, hook worm,
Strongloidosis
• Other many to the liver lungs and over to the brain Eg.
entaameba histolotica
 Method of food preservation
 Refrigeration:- most commonly used
 Drying
 Pickling
 using salty
 Smoking
 Frying( boiling)
 Salting
 canning
 Summery= FOOD PRESERVATION
• Is a process through which physical and /or
chemical agents are used to prevent microbial
spoilage of food.
• Aims at treating food in a manner to prolong
its storage life
• Efforts are made to destroy organisms in the
food,or Increase the period taken by MOs to
adapt to the food environment before they
start to spoil the food.
 Preservation of Food….

Food is preserved to prevent natural and

microbial decay
* The qualities of the fresh food as possible
Eg. - Flavor(taste)
- Texture(quality)
- Color
- Appearance
- Nutritional value
 Methods of preservation
 Food decay can be prevented by
1. heating – to destroy micro-organisms & enzyme activity.
Eg. Sterilization, pasturalization
2 Removal of moisture;- to inhibit microbial growth Eg.
Dehydration
3. Removal of air;- to prevent further entry of micro-
organisms eg- Vacuum packaging
4. Reduction of temperature Eg. Refrigeration
5. Addition of a chemical preservative:- to destroy or
inhibit microbial and enzymic activity Eg. Nacl
(common salt).
.
 Food preservation principles
• Two general principles are employed in food
preservation.
(1). Inhibition principle
(2). Killing principle
 (1). Inhibition principle
• Food preservation is achieved by inhibiting growth &
multiplication of MOs.
Can be achieved by any of the following methods:
(a). Reduction of water activity e.g. By drying and salting
(b). Adjusting pH e.g. by fermentation and addition of
acids.
(c). Use of preservatives, e.g. sodium benzoate
(d). Use of low temperatures (chilling or freezing)
(e). Smoking – which has a drying and preservative
effect
Food preservation by adjusting pH
• The pH can be achieved by addition of acids
and fermentation
• Fermentation is the breakdown of
carbohydrates under anaerobic conditions
into alcohol or lactic acid and carbon dioxide
as follows:
C6H12O6 2C2H5OH +2CO2
(yeast + sugar) = Ethanol + carbondioxide)
 Food preservation by lowering water
activity
Can be achieved by:
• Addition of high content of salt: Sodium
chloride and salts of nitrats and nitrites
• Addition of high content of sugar
• Drying: sun/air drying; electrical drying or
freeze drying-which is first freezing & then
placing it in a vacuum to remove moisture
before returning it to room temperature
 Preservation of food by addition of high
content of sugar
• Monosaccharides such as glucose(dextrose)
and fructose are more effective in reducing
the water activity than disaccharides like
sucrose.
• Thermophiles are more susceptible to the
action of sugar than other bacteria.
• Osmophilic yeasts are able to tolerate very
high concentrations of sugar and cause food
spoilage.
 Food preservation by use of low
temperatures
• Two methods are employed to arrest
microbial growth and multiplication.
• These are chilling (cold storage) and freezing.
• Chilling is keeping food at temperatures
between 0-15oC. The commom chilling
temperatures ranges between 4-5oC.
• Freezing is keeping food at temperatures
between 0oC and -35oC.
 (2). Killing principle
• In this principle, spoilage MOs are destroyed
in the food, and
• The food is protected against subsequent
contamination by being enclosed in an air
tight container.
 Methods employed to achieve the killing
principle
1. Heat treatment: through pasteurization or
sterilization
2. Irradiation with either ionizing or
electromagnetic radiation e.g gamma rays,
cobalt 60 radioactive particles.
3. Use of gases: by use of ethylene oxide or
ozone. The gases destroy both vegetative
cells and spores.
 INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF
FOOD HYGIENE AND SAFETY
Introduction
• All over the world people are seriously
affected by consuming unhygienic food.
• What is food hygiene?
• The food we eat should be free from
contaminants and chemicals.
• This session will introduce the principles of
food hygiene and safety.
Important principles in food hygiene and safety:
• Hygiene is defined as the set of practices
associated with the preservation of health.
• So, food hygiene-refers to the many practices
needed to safeguard the quality of food from
production to consumption; sometimes
referred to as ‘from farm to fork’ or ‘from farm
to table’.
• It also includes the collection and disposal of
food wastes.
• The overall purpose of food hygiene is to
prepare and provide safe food and
consequently contribute to a healthy and
productive society.
Objectives of food hygiene:
• Prevent food spoilage
• Educate people about methods of food
preservation to protect foodborne diseases
• Protect food from unwanted adulteration
• Ensure proper practice in the food trade to
prevent the sale of unsafe food.
• Food must be labeled correctly; avoid
misbranding.
• Misbranding violates food safety regulations
and is unlawful.
• Food labeling should include the following
facts about the food:
 character (type of food)
 origin (country)
 constituents (what is in the food)
 amount in the container
 date of production and expiry date
WHO golden rules for safe food preparation

1,Choose foods processed for safety; select fresh

food, use pasteurized milk etc,
2. Cook foods thoroughly,
3. Eat cooked foods immediately,
4. Store cooked food carefully at an appropriate
temperature; <4 or >60,
5. Reheat cooked foods thoroughly,
6,Avoid contact between raw and cooked food,
7. Wash hands properly before handling food,
8. Keep all kitchen surfaces and utensils
meticulously clean.
9. Protect food from insects, rodents and other
animals.
10. Use safe water in food preparation and for
washing.
 MILK CONTROL
• Milk is an lactal secreation of mamals.
• Compostion of cow milk is known to be cream
3.7%,sugar 4.7%,protein 3.4% minerals 0.75%
water78% plus various enzymes.
MILK BORN DISEASE
Milk is an ideal medium (hot bed ) for bacterial
growth,milk drawn in most sanitary condition
condition still contains numerous M.O
• UNSAFE MILK IS DANGEROUS B/C IT IS LIKELY TO BE
CONSUMED RAW BY THE MOST VULNERABLE
GROUPS
• Some common milk born disease
- originated from cow : bovine TB
Brucellosis
- from human sore throat : Diphteria
-Inanimate source : thyphoid
cholera
shigelosis
 METHODS OF MAKING MILK SAFE

1 Boiling for 10 minutes – a family practice boiling

changes physical characteristics of milk eg. Loss of
some nutritional components like V,C,V,B
- Boiling kills all micro 0smexcept spor forming
2. Pasteurization The two methods
 1450F(620C) for 30 minutes
 1610F(760C) for 15 minutes
 3. Sterilization:- it is a system of heating which can
even kill spore forming. There are two important factors
Temprature & time increase to greater sterilization
 STEPS TO BE TAKEN IN MILK HYGINE

B/C MILK IS ONE OF THE MOST DELICATE FOOD

EXTRA CARE MUST BE PRACTICED TO ENSURE
SAFTEY OF MILK AT EVERY STAGE OF
PRODUCTION UNTIL CONSUMPTION

THE FOLLOWING STEPS NEEDED TO BE

OBSERVED
Healthy cow
Clean cow shead
• Healthy and clean milk handler
• Separate milk roomproperly designed utensil
• Effective washing facility
• Prompet cooling
• pasterization
 Meat control
• Most delicate
• There are many disease ----- unfit for consumption
• Some of meat born disease
• Steps to be taken in meat hygine

Sloughtering in abatory
• antepartum exam
• post partum exam
• stamping
• transportation
• selling
 EATING AND DRINKING ESTABLISHMENT

• Mass food catering or serving food for a mass implies

the provision of food in a form that is ready to be
eaten by large number people at the same time which
is relatively short period compared to the number of
people to be served
• Under mass catering condition the risk of food born
disease is high b/c
-food is prepared in advance several hours even days
before it is consumed
- observing sanitary status proper temprature control
 CONTROL MEASURE
• The premesis in which food and drink served
should be licenced,properly constructed and
sited
• Adequate equipment washing facilities
3 compartment
-Food handler--- healthy
--- medical exam
 FISH
 Fish readily decompose than other animals products.
Inspection of fish
 visual examination:- look at the skull
 Physical examination look for the gills, bones,
discoloration of fish
 Smell:- check for abdominal cavity of fresh no smell
 Acceptable, sound fish has the f/ing characteristics
 The eyes should be bright
 Red gills
 Flesh should be fresh
Thank you
2024